Combination table and desk.



No. 776,855. V PATENTED NOV. 29, 1904. N. W. SELANDEE.

COMBINATION TABLE AND DESK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, mos.

N0 MODEL.

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ATENT tries.

COMBINATION TABLE AND DESK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 776,355, dated November 29, 1904.

Application filed November 12, 1903. Serial No. 180,913. (No model.)

To (ZZZ w/tmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NELSON WILLIAM SELAN- DER, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a new and useful Combination Table and Desk, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices capable of employment as a ladys work-table and workreceptacle, a writing-desk, or an educational appliance, and has for its object to produce a cheaply-constructed and easilyadjusted and operated device of this character which may be quickly and easily transformed for employment for the various purposes for which it is designed; and the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter shown and described.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, in which corresponding parts are denoted by like designating characters, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device arranged as a desk or work-table. Fig. 2 is a view of the table portion arranged as a drawing-table and educational appliance. Fig. 3 represents the base portion or the device arranged as a receptacle. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the device, enlargechwith the legs folded. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail of the hinged folding leg and the base-frame and table portion.

The improved device comprises a base member 10, having a margin 11 extending around three sides and projecting both above and below the base member and with a margin 12 on the remaining side projecting below the base member only, as shown. Centrally of the base member 10 a cavity 13 is formed, and suspended from this cavity is a fabric pocket or receptacle of any suitable materialsuch as cloth, leather, felt, or the like-to receive any desired article employed byladies in sewing or embroidering. The base member 10 is provided with a fabric covering in three sections, a central section 14 as wide as the length of the cavity 13 and extending from side to side of the base member and folded over the edges and depressed into the cavity to form the sides and bottom of the pocket, as at 15, and end sections 16 17 extending from side to side and folded over the edges of the base member and provided with flaps forming the ends 18 19 of the pocket. The contiguous edges of the fabric section will be united, as by sewing, and the folded-over edges will be secured by the margin members 11 and 12, as

shown. By this simple means the whole fabric cover and the pocket-receptacle is formed in three pieces and united by only two contiguous seams, as represented.

Hinged at 4:9 to the ends of the base member 10 are legs 51 52 and foldable beneath the base member and entirely concealed by the downwardly-projecting portions of the margins when thus folded. Pivotally attached, as at 53, to the side margin members are braces 54, one for each leg and each provided with a longitudinal slot 20, terminating in a lateral projection 21 and operating over pins 22 in the leg members. By this arrangement it will be obvious that when the leg members are distended the lateral projections 21, falling over the shanks of the pins, will effectually lock the legs in their distended position,while at the same time easily releasable when the legs are to be again folded.

The combined desk, table, and educational appliance comprises two plates or surfaces 23 24, spaced apart by a vertical border or margin 25, whereby a relatively shallow hollow structure is formed, as shown. The desk and table portion of the structure will be reversibly supported upon the base member and lit by three of its sides Within the margins 11 and with spaced projecting portions 26 27 eX- tending beyond the margin 12, as shown. The desk and table portion is thus capable of use as an ordinary lap-board when detached from the base portion, for the space between the projections 26 and 27 receives the body of the user, and said projections constitute guards to prevent lateral displacement of the table. In other words, the space between the projected portions 26 and 27 corresponds to the reentrant seat commonly provided in the front edge of lap boards. Extending inwardly from the longitudinal margin member 11 is a pin 28 for engagement with a corresponding cavity in the adjacent side 25 of the desk and table portion to form a detachable holding means to prevent the table portion being accidentally displaced whilein use as a desk or table.

The side 23 of the desk or table is centrally hinged longitudinally thereof, as at 29, and

one portion foldable back upon the other portion to provide access to the interior of the desk and table portion, and the inner surface of thefoldable portion will be provided with a blackboard or other erasable writing or drawing surface. The interior ofthe desk and table will be divided into compartments, as by partitions 30 31, and hinged, as at 32 33, in one of these compartments is aframe 34, carrying two rollers 35 36, connected by a flexible scroll 37 for the reception of any suitable educational matteror information. The rollers are provided with handles 38 39, by which they are actuated and by which means the whole surface of the scroll may be exposed to View. A yieldable or spring catch 50 will be located upon the partition member 30 to support the scroll-frame in its open position. Any desired matter or information may be placed on the scroll, such as writing or music lessons, arithmetical or mathematical problems, figures or images, or other matter to be studied or copied upon the blackboard or other writing-surface upon the inner side of the portion 23 and may be varied to any desired extent. The outer side of the frame 34 is covered by a plate 40, and this plate is utilized to contain educational matter, such a map, as represented.

Two small drawers, as at 41 42, will be disposed in the space between the sides 23 24, and the side 23, where it extends over the projections 26 27, will be hinged, as at 43 44, to provide movable covers to the interior of the structure comprised within the portions 26 27, the receptacles thus provided likewise extending to the line of the hinges 29 of the side 23, as represented, so that no waste room occurs. The foldable portions of the side 23 will preferably be provided with yieldable snapcatches, as at 45, which are invisible from the outside when the parts are closed. The side 23 will be provided with a plurality of points 46, spaced to indicate inches, yards, or other measures.

The margin 12 and the adjacent side 25 of the desk and table structure will be provided with means, such as a hook 47 and eye 48, for detachably connecting the parts.

By this simple arrangement of parts a very complete and convenient device is produced which may be employed as a lad ys work-table and work receptacle or quickly transformed into a table or writing-desk and also utilized to contain educational matter or information of various kinds. Then when not required the legs can be folded close to the base portion and concealed by the overhanging margins 11 and 12 and the device stored in a small area.

The device may be of any desired size or of any suitable material and may be modified in minor particulars without departing from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is 1. In a device of the class described, a legsupported base having an upwardly-extending margin which is omitted at one side only of the base, and a top member supported upon the base within the margin with its upper face exposed for use as a table and-capable of being slid edgewise from the base at that side thereof from which the margin has been omitted.

2. In a device of the class described, alegsupported base having an intermediate receptacle which is open at its top, an upstanding margin carried by the base and omitted at one side only thereof, and a table supported upon the top within the margin thereof and constituting a closure for the receptacle, said table capable of being slid edgewise from the base at the side thereof from which the margin has been omitted. I

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a legsupported base having an intermediate depressed receptacle which is open at the top, and also provided with an upstanding margin at the back and opposite sides only of the base, the said margin being omitted from the front of the base, of a removable table supported upon the base within the margin thereof and closing the top of the receptacle, the front of the table having spaced extensions projected in advance of the base, the space between said projected portions constituting a reentrant seat for the user of the device, and the table capable of removal from the base to uncover the receptacle and to be used as a lap-board.

4. In a device of the class described, abase member mounted upon supporting-legs and having an L1 pwardly-extending margin at three sides, a table for said base member detachably supported by said margins and with spaced extensions projecting in advance of the base member at the side having no margin, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a base having an upstanding margin which is omitted at one side only of the base, a table supported upon the base within the margin with its upper face exposed for use as a table and capable of being withdrawn at that side of the base which is without a margin, a detachable fastening connecting the table to the base at that side of the latter which is without the margin, and a pin-and-socket detachable connection between the opposite side of the table and the adjacent marginal portion of the base, the pin being disposed in the direction of movement of the table-top to permit of an automatic disconnection of the pin-and-socket connection when the table-top is being withdrawn.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a base having an upstanding margin at the back and opposite sides thereof, the front of the base being without a margin, a pin carried by the margin at the back of the base and extending toward the front of the base, a removable table supported upon the base within the margin with its upper face exposed for use as a table and having a socket in its back edge for the reception of the pin of the base, an eye carried by the front of the table, and a hook carried by the front of the base for detachable engagement with the eye.

7. In a device of the class described, a base portion having a central aperture, a fabric cover for said base portion formed in three sections, a central section corresponding to the aperture and depressed to form the bottom and sides of a pocket therein and end sections having flaps to form the ends of said pocket, the contiguous edges of said sections being united as by sewing,substantially as described.

8. In a device of the class described, a base portion having a central aperture, a fabric cover for said base portion formed in three sections, a central section corresponding to the aperture and depressed to form the bottom and sides of a pocket therein and end sections having flaps to form the ends of said pocket, the contiguous edges of said sections being united as by sewing, and the margins of the sections folded over the edges of the base portion, and margin-plates attached to the edges of said base portion and forming binding means to secure said cover-sections, substantially as described.

9. In a device of the class described, a hollow table having the back portion of its top hinged and capable of being opened toward the front of the table to expose the interior thereof with the under side of said foldable section provided with a writing-surface which is exposed when the section is open, and a scroll-carrying frame housed within the hollow table with its rear portion hinged to the rear portion of the table and said frame capable of being swung upwardly into an exposed position when the foldable top section is open.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

NELSON WILLIAM SELANDER.

Witnesses:

D. W. Korrnins, J r., W. F. RUSSELL. 

